Panthers Down ODU, Advance to Finals

Women's Tennis Deandra Duggans/Sports Communications

Panthers Down ODU, Advance to Finals

NORFOLK, Va. (April 18, 2009)  The Georgia State women's tennis team defeated 4th-seeded Old Dominion, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon to advance to the 2009 CAA Championship finals where they will face #2 VCU to play for the conference title and an automatic NCAA berth.  The championship match is scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m.

Georgia State opened the day rallying from behind as Old Dominion won two doubles matches to pick up the point.  The Panthers won the first match on court 3 as Martina Ondrackova and Linda Hricistova defeated Charleen Haarhoff and Marija Citic but the Monarchs won on courts one and two to take the early lead.  

The Panthers' Martina Ondrackova responded and tied the score 1-1 with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Marija Citic at No. 6 singles.  ODU then picked up its second point as Kiara Powell fell 6-1, 7-5 to Irina Dementyeva at No. 5, making the score 2-1 with two points left to win the match.

Martina Nitkova was next off the court, but not without a battle.  ODU's Charleen Haarhoff pushed the match at No. 2 to three sets, as Nitkova won 6-1 in the first and dropped 3-6 in the second, but eventually won with a 6-4 victory in the third to give the Panthers its second point.

Dariana Kozmina also had to battle to three sets as she won 6-3 in the first and fell 3-6 in the second to Joanna Dobrowolska.  Kozmina was able to rally back to win 6-1 in the third to give State a 3-2 advantage, needing only one singles point to win.

Both remaining matches at No. 1 and No. 4 were also pushed to three sets.  Diana Nakic lost 3-6 in the first to Nadine Fahoum, but came from behind to win 6-4 in the second.  On court four, Katerina Gresova won 6-1 in the first over Margarita Spicin, but dropped the second, 2-6, leaving both matches on the line, but Gresova was able to clinch the Panthers' fourth point and match victory with a 6-4 win in the third.

Georgia State will compete for its first conference title tomorrow at 10 a.m.  This will mark the second time this season that State has met VCU.  The Panthers defeated the Rams 4-3 on April 4 in route to a four-match winning streak to end the regular-season.

Check GeorgiaStateSports.com for final results.

#1 Georgia State 4, #4 Old Dominion 2

Singles

#1 Diana Nakic (GSU) vs. Nadine Fahoum (ODU), 3-6, 6-4, 4-4 ? DNF
#2 Martina Nitkova (GSU) d. Charleen Haarhoff (ODU), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
#3 Dariana Kozmina (GSU) d. Joanna Dobrowolska (ODU), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
#4 Katerina Gresova (GSU) d. Margarita Spicin (ODU), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
#5 Irina Dementyeva (ODU) d. Kiara Powell (GSU), 6-1, 7-5
#6 Martina Ondrackova (GSU) d. Marija Citic (ODU), 6-1, 6-4
Order of finish: 6, 5, 2, 3, 4

Doubles

#1 Fahoum/Spicin (ODU) d. Nitkova/Gresova (GSU), 8-3
#2 Dobrowolska/Dementyeva (ODU) d. Kozmina/Powell (GSU), 8-5
#3 Ondrackova/Linda Hricistova (GSU) d. Haarhoff/Citic (ODU), 8-3
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
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